Germany Priority Application 100 65 205.0, filed Dec. 23, 2000 including the specification, drawings, claims and abstract, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a refrigerant condenser for motor vehicle air-conditioning systems of the type that include a tube/fin block, header tubes arranged on both sides of the tube/fin block and a collector arranged parallel to one header tube, wherein the header tubes have partitions for creating a multi-pass flow of the refrigerant, and the tube/fin block has an upper condensation region and a lower supercooling region. The collector is flow-connected via passage orifices to the condensation region, on the one hand, and to the supercooling region, on the other hand.
A refrigerant condenser of this type is known from commonly-assigned DE-A 42 38 853 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,839) which is incorporated herein by reference. In this so-called condenser module, the collector, which serves for separating the refrigerant into the liquid phase and the vapor phase, for receiving excess refrigerant and for drying, is integrated together with the condenser to form a structural unit. In this case, the collector has a cross section or diameter which is greater than the adjacent parallel header tube. This results, for the entire condenser module, in an increased construction depth (as seen in the airflow direction), as compared with the construction depth of the tube/fin block or of the header tubes. In specific installation situations in the motor vehicle, this may be a disadvantage, to be precise when the space necessary for the collector is not available.
It is therefore one object of the invention to provide an improved refrigerant condenser of the known type so that it is possible to install the condenser, even under confined space conditions, without impairing the functioning of the condenser.
A further object of the invention is to provide a motor vehicle embodying the improved refrigerant condenser according to the invention.
In accomplishing the foregoing objects of the invention, there has been provided in accordance with one aspect of the invention a refrigerant condenser for a motor vehicle air-conditioning system, comprising: a tube/fin block; header tubes arranged on both sides of the tube/fin block, the header tubes having partitions for creating multi-pass flow of the refrigerant to produce in the tube/fin block an upper condensation region and a lower supercooling region; a collector arranged parallel and adjacent to one of the header tubes and being in communication via a first passage with the condensation region, and via a second passage with the supercooling region, wherein the collector has a diameter or cross section essentially the same or less than the cross section of the adjacent header tube; and a separate container having a cross section larger than the cross section of the adjacent header tube, for storing refrigerant and receiving at least one of a dryer and a filter, the container being in communication with the collector via connecting lines, wherein a first connecting line is connected to the collector between the first passage to the condensation region and the second passage to the supercooling region.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there has been provided a motor vehicle comprising an air-conditioning system that includes a refrigerant condenser as defined above.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a motor vehicle comprising an engine cooling system including a radiator, and an air-conditioning system including a refrigerant condenser, wherein the condenser comprises a condenser as defined above and wherein the condenser and the radiator are mounted in the motor vehicle contiguously in face-to-face relationship. In a preferred embodiment, the motor vehicle further comprises a third heat exchanger that is mounted directly adjacent to the radiator or the condenser. The third heat exchanger preferably comprises at least one of an oil cooler and a charge air cooler.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments that follows, when considered together with the accompanying figures of drawing.